With the 25th Anniversary of My Neighbor Totoro fast approaching (on April 16th, 1988), Viz Media will be celebrating the occasion this Fall with the release of a My Neighbor Totoro novel and a special edition of the My Neighbor Totoro Picture Book. Fans will be thrilled to know that the novel was written by children’s book author Tsugiko Kubo and includes original watercolor illustrations by Miyazaki himself. The novel is of course a retelling of the classic story of Satsuki, Mei and their journeys with Totoro, but it will be a great new way to experience the magical tale. The companion, full color picture book features artwork taken directly from the film. Totoro lovers everywhere can pick up the novel for $17.99 USD and the special edition My Neighbor Totoro Picture Book for $19.99 USD on October 1st.
If you somehow have been living in a cave for the past 25 years and have missed the beloved film that is My Neighbor Totoro, I highly suggest you crawl out of said cave and watch it immediately in both the original Japanese and the newer English dub that was released by Disney. Unfortunately, there’s no official trailer for the movie on Youtube anymore, but here’s a great fan version that gives you the same TL;DR of the film:
From the press release: “In the charming animation classic MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, eleven-year-old Satsuki and her sassy little sister Mei have moved to the country to be closer to their ailing mother. While their father is working, the girls explore their sprawling old house and the forest and fields that surround it. Soon, Satsuki and Mei discover Totoro, a magical forest spirit who takes them on fantastic adventures through the trees and the clouds – and teaches them a lesson about trusting one another.
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO was created by famed director Hayao Miyazaki and released as a feature film in 1988 by his Studio Ghibli, which also produced SPIRITED AWAY, PRINCESS MONONOKE, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and PONYO later on. TOTORO’s popularity soon became an international phenomenon and has spawned a vast array of adorable plush characters, toys, collectibles and other memorabilia.“